Panic lock for doors



Feb. 14, 1939. c J PRINZLER 2,147,581

PANIC 'LOCK FOR DOORS Filed July 30, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 1 .1; 5??F1 92. ga

HI Ill lNVENTOR Car] o Prinzler,

ATTORNEY5 Feb. 14, 1939. c. J. PRINZLER I PANIC LOCK DOORS 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1934 r /w .m m R r N 0 M W w H m 0 Y ad B4. 4 wz w f 5 2 aw 1 d! 3 Feb. 14, 1939. c. J. PRINZLER PANIC LOOK FORDOORS Filed July 30} 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOE ar/Jfrmz/er, BY

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PANIC LOCK FOR DOORS Application July 30, 1934, Serial No. 737,508

Claims.

In public buildings where large assemblages gather, especially inschools, auditoriums, theaters, churches, etc., it has been founddesirable to equip main entrance doors with bolting or 5 latchingelements which must be. fully retractible by means of a so-called panicbar extending lateraly across the face of the door.

Doors of this type are manipulated by large numbers of persons, many ofwhom are inclined to exert unnecessary force for manipulation, so thatthe structures are damaged to the extent of inoperativeness. Extremeaccuracy of bolt retraction is absolutely essential at all times andunder all conditions in order to afford adequate insurance ofoperability under panic conditions and much difficulty has heretoforebeen experienced in maintenance of bolting mechanism of this type.

The object of my present invention is, therefore, to produce abolt-retracting structure of such extreme simplicity and ruggedness thatit will withstand all of the stresses to which it may be subjected andremain at all times in such condition as to be capable, under panicconditions, of fully retracting the door-restraining elements.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a commercial embodiment of myinvention.

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation, the cover plate for the dead-lock platebeing shown in Fig. let for the sake of clearness of illustration;

Fig. 1a a plan of the dead-lock cover-plate;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation with certain parts removed to expose theparts to which the doorretaining bolts or latches (not shown) aredirectly connected;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with some parts removed from themain casing;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with all removable partsextracted from the main cas- Fig. 6 a sectional perspective, on anenlarged scale, through the pivotal axis of the panic bar;

Fig. '7 a longitudinal section, of the lower bolt actuator;

Fig. 8 a side elevation of the actuator shown in Fig. 7;

50 Fig. 9 a side elevation of the upper bolt actuator;

Fig. 10 a section on line llllll of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 a longitudinal section medially of Fig. 1;

Fig. 12 an elevation of the rear face of the 55 cam-carrying plate; and

Fig. 13 an elevation of the front face of the cam-carrying plate.

In the drawings C indicates a main shell or casing comprising arelatively thick front plate [0 and side walls H. In order to insure along lift of dependable operation I have found it necessary to form thispart of metal by a die forging operation.

At appropriate points between the side walls I provide integral portions12 having a depth 10 nearly equal to that of the side walls andperforated through the face of plate Ill, as indicated at 13. Thesecomparatively long perforations, which are for the reception offastening screws, insure an axial guidance for the fastening screws 15(not shown) so that careless workmen may not, by a canting of suchscrews into the door, inaccurately set the casing on a door, or undulystress it.

The ends of portions l2 lie in a common plane and serve as a support forthe cam-carrying plate 14 which is held in place by screws l5 threadedinto perforations IS in portions l2.

The spaces 17 and 18, respectively at the upper and lower endsof thecasing, between adjacent 25 pairs of portions 12 form guide ways,respectively, for the upper and lower bolt actuators B and B.

Tongues 2|, 22, 23, and 24, the purposes of which will be made toappear, depend integrally from the front plate. 3

Integrally rising from the outer face of the front plate are laterallyspaced ears 25, 25 which are strongly braced, top and bottom,respectively, by integral fillets 26, 2'1, the fillet 26 extendingupwardly for a considerable distance to afford additional thickness inthe top plate to permit the formation of a pocket 28 (Fig. 5) in theunder face of the plate ill. In order to extend the axial dimension ofthis bore without unduly increasing weight or interfering with movingparts, a circular flange 2t depends integrally from the under face ofplate I0.

Plate [0, between ears 25, is perforated, at 29 to afford access to theinterior of the casing.

The ears 25 are transversely perforated with alined perforations 25' inwhich is journalled a pin till retained in the operating lever 35 by ascrew 32 which is placed in the most nearly inaccessible position, asshown in Fig. 11, so as to be the least tempting to mischievous persons.The lever 31 forms the support for one end of the usual panic-bar, notshown, which extends laterally across the face of the door, and one arm,3!, of this lever projects through perforation 29 into the interior ofeasing C for engagement with one of the bolt actuators, to be described.This lever may be subjected to heavy stresses and if it, or casing C, isdistorted by those stresses, the necessary accuracy of operation of thebolts is thereafter impossible and loss of lives may result. It is forthis reason that the ears 25 are made very sturdy, as described, andlever 3| is also made as a die forging with an accurately positionedabutment 3|" on its arm 3| to engage the inner surface 26' of casing Cso as to accurately limit the actuating movement of the lever. Thesturdy character of the ears 25 and immediately adjacent portions ofeasing C eliminates all possibility of springing the casing to disturbaccurate actuation of the bolt actuators, to be described.

Also integrally depending from the inner surface of plate H) is a pin 35upon which is journalled the rocker arm 38 which is provided at itsopposite ends with the open notches 36' and 36".

slidably mounted in guide way I1 is the portion 31 of the upper boltactuator B which comprises a portion 38 parallel with but laterallyoffset relative to portion 31, said portion terminating in a laterallyoffset toe 39 in line with portion 31. Intermediate its length, portion38 is provided with an integral stud 40 upon which is sleeved a sleeve4| of metal different from rocker arm 36 and fitting slot 38'. Formed inportion 31 of actuator B is an open-sided spring pocket 42, open at itslower end and having a spring abutment 43 at its upper end. In thispocket, between abutment 43 and tongue 2| is mounted a compressionspring 44 which yieldingly projects actuator B. Portion 38 lies slidablybetween tongue 22 and the adjacent Wall H of easing C.

Slidably mounted in guideway I8 is the portion 46 of the lower boltactuator B which is provided at its upper end with laterally spacedfingers 47 and 48. Finger 4'! overlies portion 38 of actuator B andfinger 48 lies slidably between tongue 3 and the adjacent wall I I ofeasing C. The upper end of finger 48 carries an integral pin 49 uponwhich is a sleeve 50, like sleeve 4|, and fitting notch 36". At 5|,actuator B is provided with an open-sided spring pocket 52 open at itsupper end and provided at its lower end with a spring abutment 53,between which and tongue 24 is mounted a compression spring 54.

Actuator B is medially perforated at 55 to form a downwardly-presentedsurface 58 which is upwardly engaged by the inner end of arm 3| of lever3|.

Portion 39, of actuator B, when the two actuators B and B are fullyextended closely underlies the inner end of arm 3|, as shown in Fig. 2,so that the actuators may be retracted by movement of lever 3| in eitherdirection from its normal medial position.

Each of the bolt actuators B and B is provided at its outer end with apocket 60 (Fig. '7) in which is swiveled the ball head SI of a threadedshank 52 to which a stretcher rod (not shown) may be connected forextension to a door-retaining bolt or latch of desired form.

The bolt actuators B and B are retained within casing C by the plate Mwhich rests upon the ends of parts l2 of the casing and is removablyheld thereon by screws l5, said plate having perforations l3 whichregister with perforations l3 of the casing.

Plate l4 lies closely over surfaces 61 formed on actuator B so as toguide said actuator in its movements.

One face of plate I4 is provided with an integral lug 65 which registerswith lug 35 and serves as a partial journal for the rocker arm 36. Ascrew 66 passes through lug 65 into lug 35.

Journalled in plate I4 is the cam shank 68 which also journals in pocket28 and carries an integral cam 89, the opposite arms of which underlielugs 18 carried by fingers 41 and 48. One end of shank 88 is polygonal,as indicated at B8 and over this portion is non-rotatively sleeved aplate 1| retained in place by a cotter pin 12. Portion 68' has an axialpolygonal pocket 68" for the non-rotative reception of a knob shank (notshown) so that the bolt actuators may be knobmanipulated from theexterior of the door.

In order to lock the door against opening from the outside plate H isprovided with a radial finger 1| over which may be projected the notchededge 15 of a locking plate 15 slidably mounted on plate I4 and guidedbetween lugs 18 integral with plate l4.

Journalled in plate I4 is a key-controlled head 19 having a radiallyprojected finger 88 turnable into notch 8| of plate 76 to shift itsnotch 15 into and out of straddling association with finger A spring 82,attached to plate 13, engages with the cam lug 83 on plate I4 to retainplate 16 in either extreme of its movement. A cover plate 84, restingupon lugs 18 and 83, and held in place by a screw passing throughperforation 85 and threaded into lug 86 of plate l4, serves to retainplate 16 between its guiding lugs.

In order to prevent undue wear during heavy traffic periods when freedomof ingress is desirable, lever 3| may be locked in depressed,boltretracting position by screw 90 (Fig. 3), the inner end of which maybe projected into pocket 9| formed in one side of arm 3| of said lever.Screw 90 should be difficult of access, in order to prevent mischievoustampering, and therefore is submerged in the base of one car 25 andprovided with a polygonal socket 92 by which it must be manipulated. Theouter end of the threaded hole in which this screw is mounted is peanedover the screw to prevent removal.

The parts M, B, B, 3|, 38, 88, as well as casing C are die forgings sothat the structure as a whole is very strong, in spite of itscompactness, so that a long life of continuous accuracy, and consequentsafety, is assured.

Particular attention is called to the open-sided, open-ended springpockets formed in the actuators B and B, which pockets, in conjunctionwith adjacent portions of the casing C form complete enclosures for thesprings 44 and 54, which enclosures prevent any substantial buckling ofthe springs. In devices of this type, where the springs are subjected tomany thousands of compressions, it is of the utmost importance that thehighest degree of insurance be provided against breakage. In times pasta number of instances have been known where broken springs have servedto block bolt manipulation at a panic time. The present constructioninsures long spring life.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a panic look, a main die-forged metal casing comprising a topplate, integral depending side walls and laterally separated ears backedby a heavy connecting fillet integral with the ears and top plate, anoperating lever pivoted between the ears with a manually engageableportion and an inner arm lying between the ears and projecting into thecasing and having a throwlimiting portion engageable with an exposedportion of said fillet, a die-forged bolt actuator slidably mountedwithin the casing with a portion projected from one end of the casingand a laterally offset pin-carrying portion guided between a side wallof the casing and an integral lug depending from the casing top plate,said first-mentioned portion of said actuator having an open-sidedspring pocket with an open end, a spring arranged in said pocket andabutting an integral lug of the casing, said actuator at its inner endhaving an inwardly-projecting toe, a second die-forged bolt actuatorslidably mounted in the casing with a portion projected from one end ofthe casing, a medial lever-engageable surface, a pair of laterallyseparated fingers one overlyng the first bolt actuator, and the othercarrying a pin, and an open-sided spring pocket with one open end, aspring mounted in said pocket and abutting an integral casing lug, thesaid toe and leVer-engageable surface lying upon opposite sides of theinner end of the operating lever, a retaining plate overlying said boltactuators, a rocker arm journalled upon a pin integral with the casingtop plate and a pin integral with said retaining plate and havingpinengaging portions straddling the pins of the bolt actuators, and acam shaft journalled in said retaining plate with one end journalled ina pocket in the casing top plate and the other end formed for knobactuation, said cam shaft having a pair of divergent arms each having aone-way engagement with the second bolt actuator.

2. In a panic look, a die-forged casing cornprising a top plate anddepending side walls, a rocker-arm pivot integral with the inner face ofthe top plate, and a cam-shaft pocket independent of said pivot andformed in the inner face of the casing top-plate.

3. In a panic look, a die-forged casing ,comprising a top plate anddepending side walls, a rocker-arm pivot integral with the inner face ofthe top plate, and a cam-shaft pocket independent of said pivot andformed in the inner face of the casing top-plate and axially extended bya flange depending integrally from said inner face.

4. In a look a main body comprising integral top-plate, depending sidewalls, and a spring abutment adjacent and substantially normal to one ofsaid side walls, a bolt actuator slidably mounted between said sidewalls with a portion adjacent the inner end of said abutment andalongside one of said side walls, said portion being flanked by aplate-like portion substantially normal to said side Wall andsubstantially parallel with the top-plate, and a spring nested in thespace between said plate-like portion of the actuator and the top-plateof the main body, said spring being abutted at one end on said springabutment and at the other end upon the bolt actuator.

5. In a look a main body comprising integral top-plate, depending sidewalls, and a spring abutment substantially normal to the top-platebetween and spaced from the side walls, a bolt actuator slidably mountelbetween said side walls and having an open-ended, open-sided CARL J.PRINZLER.

